Nat is a postdoc in the Biology Department at MIT, where he studies cellular, developmental, and evolutionary biology. The big question his research explores is - how did the first multicellular animals evolve? He received his Ph.D. in 2018 from Stanford University after conducting his thesis research at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station, where he studied evolutionary cell biology in marine invertebrates. His path to grad school was weird and interdisciplinary, so he would be delighted to answer questions like "how do I choose between programs?," or "how do I tell if this lab/department/program is a good fit for my interests?". Additionally, Nat is the recipient of an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship, and is happy to share advice on the fellowship application process. Outside of the lab, he loves baking, rock climbing, and outdoor adventures with his dog, Waffles.